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Welcome back to my 5-part freezer cooking series (as shared on the Whole30 blog this past Fall)! For each post from here on out, I’ll be sharing an original recipe from yours truly, and also showing you how you can adapt one of the recipes from the New York Times #1 bestseller, The Whole30 for freezer cooking.
In this post, I'm talking about one of the best types of freezer meals -- Crock Pot Freezer Meals! Why are they so great? Well, first and foremost, they require minimal prep (and sometimes NO up-front cooking). You basically dump all ingredients into a large zip-top bag, lay the bags flat, and put them in the freezer. They also offer all of the convenience of a great crock pot meal -- thaw, dump everything in the crock pot, set it, and go about your day while dinner bubbles away! They are perfect for busy work schedules.
Both of the recipes I’m sharing today can be used in a variety of ways, and they make enough so you can eat them for dinner and enjoy leftovers for the next few days.
Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken
[Whole30 - Paleo - Gluten Free - Grain Free - Dairy Free]
First up, Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken! This has become one of my favorite slow cooker recipes, because if you haven’t figured it out yet, the best Whole30 meals are the multi-purpose ones. The possibilities for this chicken are endless! Think chicken “tacos” in lettuce “shells,” taco salads, burrito bowls, baked potato topper, and breakfast protein. I’ve also used this chicken along with broth and veggies to make a quick soup!
Ingredients:
4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
2 (12oz) jars of salsa verde (I like TJ’s Hatch Valley Salsa)
2 cups chopped onions, divided
4 (4oz) cans diced green chiles, drained
2 Tbsp cumin, divided
2 Tbsp chili powder, divided
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp salt, divided
Instructions:
- Label two gallon-sized zip-top bags with the date and cooking instructions: “Thaw. Crock pot for 2-3 hours (high) or 4-6 hours (low).”
- Divide cleaned chicken between the two bags.
- Add remaining ingredients in no particular order. To each bag: 1 jar of salsa, 1 cup of onions, 2 cans of drained chiles, 1 Tbsp each of cumin and chili powder, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, and 1 tsp of salt.
Freezing Instructions:
- REMOVE as much air as possible, lay the bags flat, and freeze!
To Serve:
- Thaw the chicken overnight. Dump ingredients into slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks, then add it back to the broth in the crock pot.
- Serve however you want!
Whole30 Classic Chili
Now, for today’s recipe straight from the pages of The Whole30! If you haven’t yet tried the recipe for Classic Chili from pg 342, this is your chance! I used ground beef, but you could use turkey if you prefer it. I also added an extra can of diced tomatoes to stretch the recipe a bit. This chili is wonderful by itself, but I also love it over eggs for breakfast or over baked sweet potatoes. Now let’s make this recipe freezer-friendly!
Ingredients/Instructions:
- Reference pg 342 of The Whole30 for full ingredient list. Note: I doubled the recipe to get two freezer meals.
- Label two gallon-sized zip-top bags with the date and cooking instructions: “Thaw. Crock pot for 6-8 hours (low).”
- Brown the ground meat (2 lbs) along with the onions (2 cups) in a large skillet. Divide cooked meat and onions across two gallon-sized zip-top bags.
- Add in remaining ingredients. I used Diced & Fire Roasted tomatoes from Trader Joe’s (and I doubled the amount called for in the recipe).
Freezing Instructions:
- Remove as much air as possible, lay the bags flat, and freeze!
To Serve:
- Thaw the chili overnight.
- Dump ingredients into slow cooker and set to low heat, cooking for 6-8 hours.
- Serve!
Keep an eye out for the next post in the series, Lunch to Go!